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Thread: Oracle/Shift combo (brewing)

  1. #1

    Oracle/Shift combo (brewing)

    Been testing a few different shells for Thassa's Oracle and Paradigm Shift, and this one has been doing pretty well. Not amazing, but it's winning most matches online, it's fun, and I think there's some real room for something competitive to come out of it.


    4 Relic of Progenitus
    4 Thassa's Oracle
    4 Force of Will
    2 Veil of Summer
    4 Brainstorm
    3 Lim-Dûl's Vault
    2 Pact of Negation
    3 Inquisition of Kozilek
    4 Paradigm Shift
    4 Thoughtseize
    4 Ponder

    3 Tropical Island
    3 Underground Sea
    1 Bayou
    2 Verdant Catacombs
    3 Polluted Delta
    3 Misty Rainforest
    2 Snow-Covered Island
    1 Snow-Covered Forest
    1 Snow-Covered Swamp
    3 Cavern of Souls

  2. #2

    Re: Oracle/Shift combo (brewing)

    Initial stuff I've noticed playtesting it:

    1. Sequencing/lines can be surprisingly tough sometimes, but Lim-Dul's Vault is fire. There's definitely more of a learning curve to it than it looks to have on paper.
    2. Having Relics main makes people mad and auto-wins some matches.
    3. People will always try to counter Paradigm Shift if they can, even if they don't know what the deck is doing.

  3. #3
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    Re: Oracle/Shift combo (brewing)

    Nice shell to start with! Hadn't thought of using Cavern of Souls to protect Thassa's Oracle before and that gets me all hot and bothered. What other Merfolk or Wizards might we want to cast off of Cavern? Snapcaster Mage, True Name Nemesis, and Dark Confidant seem like obvious ones but I'm sure there are other interesting options. I like the idea of Relic of Progenitus to turn on the combo too. I've been thinking about additional or alternative ways to empty the graveyard and the most promising that have come to mind so far are: delve cards, escape cards, Crop Rotation->Bojuka Bog, Entomb->Emrakul, Day's Undoing, Rest in Peace (pair it with Energy Field also?).

    Another route to ponder is to try and make Entomb->Thassa's Oracle then cast Paradigm Shift function sort of like Doomsday.

    Edit: There's always Thought Lash for a true two card combo. 2UU/UU to win the game isn't too shabby.

  4. #4

    Re: Oracle/Shift combo (brewing)

    See:

    http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/s...=1#post1080996

    I was not sure where to post my contend.

  5. #5
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    Re: Oracle/Shift combo (brewing)

    A couple ideas to consider...

    In your current colors, multiple Abrupt Decay should be somewhere in the 75. It answers hate and threats neatly in one card.

    In white, Rest in Peace also exiles graveyards and allows an alternate win condition with Helm of Obedience. If BUG gives you better options than Esper than that may be unnecessary.

    You could take advantage of Cavern @ Wizards to cast other creatures that are synergistic with your game plan. Examples:
    Snapcaster Mage
    Dreadhorde Arcanist
    Grim Lavamancer
    Dark Confidant
    Jace, Vryn's Prodigy

    Lavamancer (and to a lesser extent Snapcaster & Dreadhorde) help empty your graveyard for you while giving you value in the game.

    You could try using Delve as an alternate way to empty your graveyard that still has value outside the combo (e.g. Gurmag Angler). If DTT was still legal, that card would be absolutely nuts here.

    You could consider using Doomsday or Wishclaw Talisman to set up your combo.

  6. #6
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    Re: Oracle/Shift combo (brewing)

    A thought . . . you can take the recently dominant Dimir inverter decks from Pioneer who play a similar combo (Inverter of Truth + Oracle) as a basis point. The advantage of Shift is that it is way cheaper, the disadvantage is that it doesn't beat down on its own.

    You can simply see what a build based on the Pioneer deck but updated to legacy cards would look like - just replacing the Jace with Paradigm Shift

    18 Lands
    4 Lotus Petal

    4 Inverter of Truth
    4 Thassa's Oracle

    4 Brainstorm
    4 Force of Will
    4 Thought Seize
    4 Dismember
    3 Paradigm Shift
    3 Ponder
    2 [Discard Spell]


    The big differences is that unlike Pioneer you can't use Delve through Time to both remove your graveyard and find your combo. Instead you need to run other delve spells to winnow down your graveyard. This creates a deck that can combo and beat down. . . . so something like:

    4 Gurmag Angler
    2 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
    Quote Originally Posted by Mr. Safety View Post
    You sir are a ninja of fine quality.

  7. #7

    Re: Oracle/Shift combo (brewing)


  8. #8
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    Re: Oracle/Shift combo (brewing)

    Quote Originally Posted by Michael Keller View Post
    It just feels bad to pay more than 1 mana for Demonic Consultation.

    In Vintage though... Oracle + Demonic Consult for Squire. UUB = win the game. Now if only Vintage had fast mana.

  9. #9

    Re: Oracle/Shift combo (brewing)

    Quote Originally Posted by FTW View Post
    It just feels bad to pay more than 1 mana for Demonic Consultation.

    In Vintage though... Oracle + Demonic Consult for Squire. UUB = win the game. Now if only Vintage had fast mana.
    You'd use Divining Witch in a transformational sideboard. It's very similar in Breach decks because people board out removal in games two and three. Resolving a Divining Witch - in the same vein as Hermit Druid if unchecked - and untapping and activating it is incredibly potent. You basically just win if you have access to four mana.

  10. #10

    Re: Oracle/Shift combo (brewing)

    Quote Originally Posted by FTW View Post
    Now if only Vintage had fast mana.
    A man can dream...

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